1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device and a method for organizing a menu in a mobile communication terminal, and more particularly to a device and a method for organizing a menu in a mobile communication terminal, which enables a user to create a desired menu by providing an algorithm for generation of multi-dimensional dynamic menu-planes and cursor movements there between.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, along with the development of technologies, a mobile communication terminal is provided with functions for using various services such as Internet service, short message service (SMS), and multimedia service, as well as the conventional audio communication service. Particularly, with a function for using multimedia or photograph service provided in the mobile communication terminal, a demand is sharply increasing for a color liquid crystal display. As use of such color mobile communication terminals spreads, interest in mobile user interface (hereinafter, referring to as “UI”) design is increasing.
A conventional mobile communication terminal generally has a main menu on the screen, which is composed of an icon array and a background animation, and in which movement between different menus and the menu's extension is diversely performed. A DIY (Do It Yourself) menu, which is a user-organizing menu applied to new models of mobile communication terminals, is also limited in both its functions and the usage range. The DIY menu enables the user to register menu items frequently used by the user from all menus available in the mobile communication terminal menus to create a user menu.
A currently available user menu enables a user to register his or her desired menu items in a predetermined number of previously-set icon boxes at desired positions, as well as to set icons for the registered user menu items.
FIG. 1 illustrates a user-setting menu screen in a conventional mobile communication terminal. For example, when 12 icon boxes are previously set in a user-setting menu, a user can set 12 menu items. Even when the user sets no user menu items, a default basic-slot menu configuration is provided and up/down/left/right movements of a cursor between the menu items are made using direction keys.
Referring to FIG. 1, six menu icons of two rows and three columns are displayed on a screen 10. A user may select his or her desired menu icons by moving a menu-selection box or a cursor using direction keys such as up/down/left/right keys. When the menu-selection box is positioned in a message-management menu icon 6, a user must push the direction key at least three times in order to move the menu-selection box to a terminal-management menu icon 1. In addition, in order to select menu icons not displayed on the screen 10, a user must push a direction key, with the menu-selection box positioned in the menu icon 6.
Thus, without using a short key, a large number of key manipulations are required for the user to move to another menu item or to a submenu registered as a lower hierarchical level, and although most people commonly use menus, there is no characteristic feature of the menus.